the holiday table

there's a chill in the air and the leaves are on the ground. company usually follows. this year set your table using your favorite things. I was always finding chips in my plates from years of hand washing and from training little ones to clean up after themselves. So instead of tracking down miscellaneous pieces to try and recomplete my set, I turned to antiques and consignment stores to find pieces that I loved and could work into my everyday table setting as well as coordinate with my special occasions china. I chose to go with all white dishes which makes my table great for year round entertaining and allows me to go wild with table cloths, napkins, etc. and seasonal decorations. My sister is now doing the same using transferware in her favorite colors. It also makes for a fun collection and is easy and fun for friends and family to add to your collection. Here are some photos of my table along with some pieces available for purchase at thecoralfish.etsy.com

What are some of your favorite table decorating ideas?

Valentine Sugar Cookies

These are the best sugar cookies and so easy to make.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

3 cups flour

1/8 tsp salt
add food coloring to dough as desired

Beat butter until creamy, gradually add sugar. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Add flour and salt, beat well. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Roll 1/4 inch thick, cut into shapes and bake at 350* for 6-8 minutes. Cool on pans 1 minute then move to wire racks. Decorate!

Toys in the Living Room

My children are still young and of course want to be in the same room as me, and with ALL of their toys. My compromise is this...

Find for them toys that you don't mind having in your living room (all others can stay in their rooms). This dollhouse is one that I had made for my daughter by my brother (cost me $3o) and I painted it. The inside is a mix of nice dollhouse furniture (from the one I had as a child) and plastic dolls. When not in use it sits in the corner of our living room and adds some character to our home. It cost quite a bit less than the large plastic fancy houses and this is one that my daughter will have for years to come and will one day be able to pass down to her children. The house is very simply made with 2 floors inside and no windows or doors, they're just painted on. So next time you are in search of that perfect toy for both you and your child - look to your friends and family for a little help, or search out what is hidden in your attic from your childhood - clean it up and make it their own. Children love any and all toys and it doesn't have to cost a fortune or mess up the look of your home.

For my daughter's next birthday she is receiving the old baby doll highchair from her aunt with a fresh coat of paint and the doll cradle my aunt made for me as a child - all cleaned up and with new "linens" I made from fabric she picked out at a local fabric store.

As for boys: I am still working on that one as I step over the pile of 30+ Hot Wheels in the middle of the floor. :)

Simple Remedies

These are some simple, natural remedies that I use and work wonders for me and my family.

Indigestion/heartburn: Peppermint tea with a little honey

indigestion/upset stomach/food poisoning: Acidopholus - I use a chewable form that tastes great, followed with a glass of water

burns (1st, 2nd or small 3rd degree): Soak the burned area in 3 parts cold water with 1 part apple cider vinegar. The pain goes away almost imediately and it heals much quicker. Keep it soaked until it doesn't hurt when you take it out - length of time depends on severity of burn so possibly 30 min. to a couple hours. You may need to add an ice cube occasionally to keep the water cold. If you can't soak it then saturate a towel and place on the burn, just keep resoaking the towel. I've had a really bad 2-3 degree burn on my thumb (took skin off almost to bone) and within 3 days you couldn't tell where I had burned it.

nerve damage/inflamation: Drink aloe vera gel. Does wonders and I don't know why. Stumbled upon this one quite by accident. I had some nerve damage in my back from my first pregnancy and the doctors I saw said there wasn't anything I could really do for it so I lived with it for several months. I had some intestinal problems as well and they flared up so I started up drinking aloe vera daily and not only did my stomach issues clear up but my back pain did too. Whenever it flairs up I reach for the aloe and it works! It is also antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal so it has many uses!

nail fungus: Soak in apple cider vinegar mixed 1/2 with water for 15 min. twice a day for up to 1 week. Works great. My 2 yr old son had horrible nails (later we discovered they were due to a milk allergy) and we tried this and they cleared right up. Bad cracked and thick parts had to grow out but the yellow was gone very soon

Diaper Rash: Use straight zinc oxide. No need for anything fancy which alot of the times the perfumes and dyes make it worse.

I'll add more as I think of them. If you know of any that work for you, please add your comments

My Own Soup Recipe

This is a wonderful soup for the cold and flu season. Hearty, healthy and filling yet very diet friendly!

1 cup lentils
1 cup diced carrots
1/3 cup diced celery
2-3 red potatoes diced (depending on size)
1 zuchinni diced
1 yellow squash diced
1 can petite diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 can navy beans drained and rinsed
8 cups chicken broth (this amount makes it more like a stew)
2-3 tsps dried onion (or use 1 fresh diced and cook before adding)
Sea salt to taste
Optional - a must for me - 1 Hillshire Farm Smoked Turkey Sausage diced and browned

Simmer lentils and carrots in broth for 1o minutes then add potatoes and celery. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Then add zuchinni, squash and remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 - 10 more minutes. Make sure lentils are soft before serving.

I hope you enjoy this soup as much as my family does!

Gone Too Long

It's just been too long.
My camera broke, relatives came, holidays happened and next thing I know I've forgotten all about here! Fortunately I received a new camera for Christmas and things are finally getting back to normal so look for new posts to come!

Simple Chili

This is a very easy and wonderful chili for the cool days ahead.

1 lb. ground beef
2 cans stewed tomatoes (run through a blender)
2 cans Bush's chili beans (preferably hot or medium)

Brown the meat then add the rest - no draining - and let simmer for 20 minutes or throw in the crock pot on low for a couple hours.
That's it!
If you like a little more heat, add some chili powder and your favorite hot sauce. So easy and one that everybody will love.